


A Love Story in 5 Parts

by Arctic_comet



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Jancy Fic Week, POV Multiple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-20 11:53:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14894144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arctic_comet/pseuds/Arctic_comet
Summary: Mike is begging Nancy to do him a favor by going out with Keith, while Dustin thinks she should get back together with Steve and Will realizes his brother is probably in love with her. Set after the end of S2, Jonathan and Nancy are not dating (yet).Written for Jancy Fic Week Day One.





	1. One: Mike

**Author's Note:**

> I recently had a baby, therefore I'm a little short on time and despite this being a pretty short fic, it'll be posted in several parts over the next week or so.

Mike knows he has one chance to make this work, to get his sister to agree. He has to play his cards right, so he might as well be as polite as he can… At least at first. So he knocks on her door that morning and waits until he’s allowed inside. So far, so good.

“Mike? What are you doing here?” she asks, frowning from her seat in front of her mirror, where she’s running a brush through her hair. Mike bites back his sharp retort, realizing Nancy doesn’t seem pissed. _Yet._

“I need a favor,” he says. Going straight to business is good, otherwise they’ll both be late for school.

“Ummmm…. Okay. What exactly would that favor be?”

“I need you to go out with Keith. From the arcade.”

Nancy snorts.

“Out? You mean on a date?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“BecauseIpromisedhimyouwould.”

“What?!” Okay, Nancy’s raising her voice now. This is not going well.

“I promised him you would, okay!”

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I know, but I was desperate! Please, just do it. It’s not like you’re dating Steve anymore, so you could do it.”

Nancy rolls her eyes.

“What if I don’t want to?”

“You don’t have to kiss him or anything! Just go and see a movie with him or something. _Please,_ Nancy.”

“And what would I get if I agreed?”

“I’ll do the dishes on your turn for the next two weeks.”

“No, not enough. Two months.”

“Ugh, no. One month.”

“Six weeks.”

Mike grinds his teeth.

“Okay, fine. Six weeks. So you’ll do it, then?”

“I guess so,” she sighs.

“You’re the best!” he exclaims, giving his sister a quick hug.

“But only once. And don’t make promises like that again,” she tells him sternly.

“I won’t, I promise. I’ll tell Keith he can call you.”

“All right…” Nancy trails off as she looks out the window. Mike peers to the street as well, spotting Jonathan’s car. Nancy’s been riding to school with him and Will for weeks now.

“I need to go, see you later,” she finally says, grabbing her bag from the bed.


	2. Two: Will

Will Byers scrambles to the backseat of his brother’s car, ready for another school day. Jonathan starts the car and they head out, first to the Wheelers’, where they’ll pick up Nancy. This is the new normal, in place since they evicted the Mindflayer from him. He doesn’t really know what prompted the change, except that apparently Steve and Nancy broke up that week.

He loves his mom, but it was a relief when she finally agreed to let Jonathan take him to school instead of doing it herself. She tries to get Will to talk about what happened, while Jonathan never pressures him. Will also sort of enjoys seeing his brother get all flustered around Nancy, although he doesn’t think they’re dating or anything like that. He likes to think Jonathan would tell him if he had a girlfriend. After all, he says Will's his best friend.

They stop in front of the Wheeler house and Jonathan turns his head to stare at the front door. Or maybe he’s staring at Nancy’s window. Either way, he bites into his lip nervously and Will decides to prod a little.

“Do you like Nancy?” he asks, not coming up with a better way to start the conversation. Jonathan’s always been honest with him, but somehow he thinks the subject of Nancy might be an exception to that rule.

Jonathan jumps, turning to look back at him, his eyes wide.

“Uh, we’re friends, Buddy,” he replies.

“That’s not really an answer, Jonathan. I heard she’s not with Steve anymore. You could ask her out,” Will suggests.

Jonathan shrugs.

“She’s a real badass, you know?” continues Will, finally getting a smile out of his brother. Will fingers the burn on his side, knowing that Nancy saved his mom. Usually he wishes he didn’t think about that night as often as he does, but he’s never been mad at Nancy for what she did.

"Yeah, she is," agrees Jonathan.

The right front door opens and Nancy leans in, smiling.

“Hey guys,” she greets.

“Hey,” says Will.

Jonathan’s voice is too soft for him to hear properly, but Will smirks as he sees the blush on his face.

For the entire drive to the school campus, Will waits for Jonathan to ask her. The two of them keep on chatting on the front seat, but as far as Will can tell, it’s only about school or other boring, ordinary things. Maybe Jonathan will ask her when they’re alone.


	3. Three: Dustin

Dustin is so sick of watching Steve sigh every time he sees Nancy walk by. This time is no different; she’s just getting out of Jonathan’s car when Steve pulls into the school’s parking lot.

“Why can’t you work it out with Nancy? What did you two argue about, anyway?”

Steve shakes his head, tearing his eyes off Nancy, who’s now fallen into step beside Jonathan, chuckling at something he said.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re not going to get back together.”

“I thought quitting was just for losers. It’s not like she’s dating anyone else…”

“Look, man… Nancy… She wants to be with someone else, and there’s nothing I can do about that.”

Dustin frowns. Steve’s popular, even if not the most popular guy in Hawkins High, so if he can’t get the girl he wants, what hope do the rest of them (like Dustin himself) have? Swallowing, he thinks briefly about Max and Lucas. It still hurts a bit, but every day it becomes a little easier. After all, Max is awesome, and being her friend is pretty great, too. But Steve… It’s like he’s not even _trying_.

“If she wants to be with this other guy so much, why aren’t they dating? I haven’t seen her with anyone, and Mike doesn’t know anything, either.

Steve shrugs.

“I wouldn’t know. It’s none of my business.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Is he a good guy?”

“Yeah. A heck of a lot smarter than me. When you’re with someone, you should have some things in common with them, and Nancy and I just didn’t have that.”

“But you think she has that with this other guy?”

“Probably.”

“Are you still friends with her, at least? That could be pretty good, too.”

“Maybe we can be friends someday, I don’t know. Anyway… It’s time for you to take your nose out of my business and run off to class. You’ll be late.”

Dustin rolls his eyes.

“Okay, Mom. Thanks for the ride, see you!”

“See you, Dustin.”

The whole gang (except for El) heads over to the arcade after school. Mike slinks away, but soon returns to them with his arms full of snacks.

“Woah, where did you get these?” asks Lucas, grabbing a carton full of popcorn.

“From Keith,” answers Mike, grinning.

“What’s gotten into him?” wonders Dustin, reaching for a bag of Lay's.

“I told him I got Nancy to go out with him,” says Mike.

“Are you kidding me? She’s supposed to be with Steve,” says Dustin.

“But they broke up,” offers Will quietly, frowning.

“But Steve still loves her, and he’s great.”

“Maybe she doesn’t like Steve anymore,” interjects Max and shrugs, stealing a handful of popcorn from Lucas.

“Well, I can’t believe she’d like Keith, either!” he exclaims.

“Ewww... She doesn’t like him, Dustin. She didn’t want to do it and I’m lucky she didn’t skin me alive,” explains Mike.

“This is ridiculous,” sighs Dustin.

“Why does this matter to you so much?” Asks Max.

“Because Steve’s the best and totally on a different level than Keith. Steve deserves better than seeing the girl he loves with a guy like him.”

“I think she should be with whoever she wants to be with,” points out Will, pursing his lips.

Dustin narrows his eyes.  “Do you know something about this?” he demands, directing the question at Will.

Will shrugs. “Not really. It’s just... I think I know who she likes.”

“Who is it?” asks Mike.

“Jonathan,” replies Will, in a tone suggesting that he doesn’t really think there’s anything weird about this idea.

“Your brother? Really?” asks Dustin. It’s not that he thinks Jonathan is a bad guy or anything and he and Nancy kind of do make sense, but he’s... He’s _one of them_. A nerd. A regular guy, while Steve’s so much more.

Will nods.

“I guess that wouldn’t be so bad,” comments Mike, his mouth full of chips.

“Yeah, Jonathan’s pretty cool,” agrees Lucas.

And Dustin gives up, knowing he’s lost this argument. The others don’t care about what happens in Steve’s love life, so he grabs a chocolate bar and focuses on the games, studiously ignoring Max’s laughter whenever Lucas says something even remotely funny.

 


	4. Four: Nancy

_Note to self: Kill Mike as soon as possible._

It’s Friday night and Nancy can’t quite believe she’s doing this for Mike, although after everything she's decided to make an effort to be a better sister to him. Hell, she even volunteered at the Snow Ball for him. But you've got to draw the line somewhere.

She’s still wearing the same old pink sweater and jeans she put on for school in the morning, because one: it’s cold as hell and not freezing is just about the only goal she has tonight and two: she has no need or desire to impress Keith, and it’s better not to give him the wrong idea by actually making an effort. She knows it’s silly, but she can’t help but wonder what Jonathan’s up to tonight. Is he working? God, now she hopes he’s not at the movie theater.

Keith picks her up, but she told him not to come to the door. There’s no way she’s explaining _this_ to her mom. He eyes her up and down when she opens the car door, smirking.

“I know you don’t like me now, but we’ll see what happens at the end of the night.”

Nancy lets out a laugh.

“I wouldn’t be holding my breath if I were you,” she replies.

“You’re not with Steve Harrington anymore, so that’s got to mean that the rest of us have a chance, too. Unless the rumors are true, of course,” muses Keith.

“What rumors, exactly?” she asks, although she has a feeling she already knows. 

“The ones that say you cheated on Steve with Jonathan Byers, of all people,” he answers, obviously chuckling at the thought of her and Jonathan. It doesn’t really bother her that people are thinking she’s a slut, but that they find it ridiculous that she’d do it with Jonathan. _Sweet, loving, kind Jonathan._ She nearly tells him to stop the car and let her out.

“Maybe that’s true,” she forces out between gritted teeth.

Her so-called date’s sharp intake of breath tells her that she’s managed to surprise him.

“Ooookay. No judgment, then. Since you’re here with _me_ , after all.”

Nancy groans inwardly. 

_This would be one long night…_

***

 _Of course_ Jonathan would be at work tonight, manning the ticket booth. She doesn’t owe him an explanation for showing up with Keith, but it wasn’t her purpose to make him jealous and complicate things between them even further. She’s so done with drama. So when she sees the incredulous and sad look on his face, she nearly turns to Keith and tells him she has someplace else to be. But she doesn’t, and leaves Jonathan behind, hoping she’ll be able to catch him alone tomorrow to talk. And not just about school, or Will or how they took down Hawkins Lab, but about _them_. It’s about the only topic they’ve been avoiding. She thought he’d gotten the hint already, but he still hasn’t made a move on her, hasn’t asked her out.

"Two for Avenging Angel," says Keith, tossing bills on the ticket counter.

Jonathan doesn't react at first as he's still staring at her. Then he shakes his head, clearing his throat.

"Here you go. That's 7 dollars."

Keith begins to walk away, obviously headed for the pop corn stand, but Nancy turns back to look at Jonathan. He shoots her a tense smile, nodding. _This is so stupid. They're both so stupid._

The movie turns out to be a real bore, but Keith seems to find it engaging. He munches on chips with worse table manners than Mike's. Nancy fidgets on her seat, wondering if Keith would notice if she slipped out. Her mind begins to wander, eventually conjuring an image of herself and Jonathan, making out in the dark of the movie theater. _If only._

 ***

Keith wants to take her to dinner afterward, and they end up in the diner where Mike forced the entire family to eat at on his 10th birthday. It's not that the food's bad, but her parents don't particularly like it, and her dad kept on complaining the entire time they were there. 

Just as Nancy's done with her chicken burger, Jonathan walks in, stopping at the counter. She notes the hunch in his shoulders. He's tense, and tired. The waitress hands him a white take-away box and he leaves, without apparently even noticing her. 

She watches Jonathan walk out and decides this is it. She’s done waiting. Standing up, she gets her wallet out and throws her share of the dinner on the table.

“Here’s my share. I have to go,” she tells her bewildered date.

“Where?” he asks,

Nancy sighs.

“Look, Keith. Let's be honest here: there's nothing between us and there never will be. I’m sorry.”

“Because of Steve Harrington?”

“Steve has nothing to do with this.”

Keith stares at the money on the table, slowly nodding.

“I get it. You were way out of my league anyway,” he murmurs, sighing.

She feels sorry for him, she really does. And she _is_ being kind of rude. But what can you expect from someone who only agreed to go out with you as a favor to their little brother?

“I'm sorry," she says again.

“You should go then, I guess."

“Good night. Thanks for the movie.”

“Night, Nancy.”

Nancy rushes outside without putting her coat on. She shivers. It's absolutely freezing. Her heart misses a few beats as she can't spot Jonathan. _Is she too late?_ Then she sees his car, which he seems to have trouble starting. She jogs to it and knocks on the window on the driver's side.


	5. Five: Jonathan

His damned car won’t start, even though it’s not as if he’s even been parked in front of the diner for more than ten minutes. Jonathan only stopped by after work to buy his mom and Will some of that apple pie they love so much. Frustrated, he lets out a huff and punches the steering wheel. His foul mood has absolutely _nothing_ to do with him running into Nancy out on a date with Keith of all people, and not just once, but _twice_ on the same night. Yeah, right.

 _Just his luck._ He’s not mad at her, but at himself. Keith managed to get her out on a date despite barely ever having talked to her before, while he can’t seem to figure out what to do although they’ve slept together. The truth is that he’s terrified. He can’t stop thinking about her and their one night together, but at the same time he knows sex doesn’t have to mean anything. Even more so when one of the participants has just broken up with someone else. He has no idea why Nancy’s decided to go out with Keith, but maybe it doesn’t matter.

Maybe he should pretend things are as simple as Will seems to think they are, be assertive and make it officially known that he wants her as his girlfriend. That he can't take the thought of her with anyone else. Not anymore. He lived with those thoughts for a year, and now that he knows how great it can be between them, his jealousy is through the roof.

Suddenly he hears a tap on his window. At first he jumps at the sound, but it's only Nancy. She's followed him.

“Hey,” he greets as he cracks the window open.

“Hi. Would you mind taking me home?” she asks.

“Shouldn’t your date be doing that?” he shoots back, deliberately not meeting her eyes, his voice probably sounding angrier than he really means.

“Not that I owe you an explanation or anything, but just for the record: I’m not interested in Keith. I want to go home with _you_ ," she spits in an annoyed tone.

He almost picks a fight with her, but shuts up at the last minute. This is a good opportunity to talk to her alone.

“Okay… I don’t know how long it’ll take for the engine to start in this weather, but I’ll take you,” he replies, getting out of the car.

“You were jealous of Keith, weren’t you?” she asks, crossing her arms.

_God, yes._

“I don’t have a right to be jealous. We’re not together," he answers, opening the hood of the car to take a look at the engine and battery.

“We could be if you weren’t such a coward.”

“I didn’t want to pressure you after… You know,” he sighs.

“You mean after we had sex?”

“You’d just broken up with Steve.”

“And you thought you were like a rebound or something?”

“I wanted to give it some time," he explains, still unwilling to admit that Nancy's right. He's never been anyone's first choice.

“Well, I’m done waiting. Are you?”

He smiles in the dark.

"If you can find time for me in your busy dating calendar," he says.

He can just see her roll her eyes at him.

"I was doing Mike a favor. And don't get a big head, but I thought about you the whole night. Especially when we were at the movies, sitting in the dark. I wondered what we'd be doing if it was you sitting next to me," she says, and that's when he breaks.

In an instant, he’s got her pressed up against the side of the car, his mouth on hers. He’s been thinking about their night together for weeks, unsure if it was the only time he’d get to do this. He moves onto her neck, suckling at the tender skin there. Nancy's moan brings back _every single little detail_ of that night.

At first, her hands grasp the lapels of his winter jacket and then they’re playing with his belt buckle and he knows he’s going to embarrass himself if this goes any further, so he pulls away.

“I- I should really try to get the car to start,” he finally groans, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers.

“Let me know if I can help… And in case you didn’t figure this out yet, I don’t want to go straight home," she pants.

“Where do you want to go then?”

“Anywhere we can be alone. I'm not even sure if I can walk after that kiss,” she flirts, making him _really_ wish they were in a more private place than a diner parking lot.

He presses a kiss against the inside of her cool wrist.

"Your wish is my command."

 


End file.
